When done right, crime and legal films can be award magnets. They are common Oscar contenders. Here are the crime and legal movies that have won the Academy Award for Best Picture over the years (click the pictures to check out the ones you haven’t yet seen):

No Country for Old Men – 2007Based on the novel, a man finds two million dollars after a drug deal gone bad and flees a hit man trying to recover the money, with the sheriff close behind.The Departed – 2006An Irish Mob boss plants an informant in the Massachusetts State Police while the police send an undercover officer to infiltrate the Mob. Both sides discover the other’s scheme, and each try to learn the other’s identity before his own cover is blown.Crash – 2005A story of racial and social tension, several characters' stories interweave during two days in Los Angeles, including a black LAPD detective estranged from his mother, his criminal younger brother and gang associate, the white District Attorney and his irritated and pampered wife, a white racist police officer who disgusts his more idealistic younger partner, and an African American Hollywood director and his wife who must deal with the racist officer.Chicago – 2002A musical crime movie about two women convicted of murder trying to save themselves from their death sentences.The Silence of the Lambs – 1991 (My personal favorite and only the third movie in history to win in all five major Oscar categories – best picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay.)Based on the novel, an FBI trainee gains the trust of a brilliant institutionalized serial killer to help the FBI catch another active serial killer.Kramer vs. Kramer – 1979Based on the novel, the film depicts a couple’s divorce and its impact on everyone around them.The Godfather Part II – 1974This film depicts the rise to power of Vito Corleone and chronicles the Corleon family’s story after the events in The Godfather (see below).The Sting – 1973A crime comedy following two professional conmen who try to scam a mob boss.

The Godfather – 1972Based on the novel, this film tells the story of the Corleone crime family.

The French Connection – 1971 The film tells the story of two real NYPD detectives and revolves around the smuggling of narcotics between France and New York.

Oliver! – 1968A musical that in part follows the adventures of a band of pick-pockets.

In the Heat of the Night – 1967Based on a novel of the same name, this is the story of a black Philadelphia police detective (Sydney Poitier) who becomes involved in a murder investigation in a racist small town in Mississippi.West Side Story – 1961A musical gang film based on the Broadway musical of the same name.On the Waterfront – 1954 A Mob film about union violence and corruption among longshoremen. With Marlon Brando.All the King’s Men – 1949The rise and fall of a self-taught lawyer who became a corrupt politician and eventually discovers he can’t buy his way out of everything.Casablanca - 1942Set in World War II, Casablanca was the portal for Europeans fleeing the Germans and trying to get to the United States. Many famous quotes come from this film, including, "Round up the usual suspects."Rebecca – 1940Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film. An intense psychological thriller starring Laurence Olivier.Mutiny on the Bounty – 1935Based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel, the film is a fictional chronicle of the real-life mutiny against Captain Bligh.

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Blythe Leszkay is a successful and experienced criminal attorney, criminal law professor, and consultant to writers and filmmakers. See About Me. This blog is intended to answer common criminal law questions, dispel misconceptions, and explain misunderstood criminal law concepts. It is also a place to discuss any crime or law related topics of interest. Contact me for a free initial consultation on your film or writing project.